Brace for club feet



Nov. 13, 1928.

o. L. FISCHER BRACE FQR CLUB FEET Filed June 1, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Nov. 13, 1928.

O. L} FISCHER BRACE FOR CLUB FEET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 1, 1927Patented Nov. 13, 1928.

"OTITILLIE L. FISCHER, OFWBANCRO-FT, NEBRASKA.

Benoit non.

Application filed June 1,

This invention relates to braces for club feet and the general object ofthe invention is to provide a brace of a very simple construction forthe treatment of club feet and which may be used for children, whichwill be very light, which is easily applied, and

which will not be uncomfortable.

A further object is to provide a brace ofthis character which will actto pull the foot over and up by exerting a more or less con stanttension upon the foot;

Another objectis to provide springs for this purpose which maybeadjusted as to length.

ther Objects will appear in the course of the followin description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure .1 is a perspe'ct' e view of a brace constructed in accordancewith my invention with the lining and covering removed to show themetallic body of the brace.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the brace with the lining and coveringremoved.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the brace as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a rear elevation thereof.

Figure 5 is aperspective view-of thebrace looking at the rear thereofand showing the lining and cover. a

Figureb is a perspective view looking toward the sideof the brace as inFigure 5.

The brace which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings is intendedto beused for young children from six months old up and is designed tobe used after *the brace illustrated and described in my pendingapplication for patent, Serial No. 195,761, filed on the first day ofJune, 1927, is discarded while the brace shown in my pending applicationis tormed of two sections, one

for the leg and one for the foot, the press ent brace has the legsection and the ,foot section all in one, although I do not wish to belimited thereto except as defined in the appended claims.

This brace consists of an integral leg and loot portion designated" 10and 11 p and formed of sheet metal of any suitable character. The legportion 10at its upper end extends around laterally so as to embrace theleg as at 12 and at its lower end is extended at. 13 in a curve toembrace theheel, this portion 13 extending upwardagainst the side of thefeet at 14: and forward against the outside'of the foot as at 15.. The

CLUB FEET.

1927. Serial No. 195,762.

leg portion 10 at its lower end has an extension 16 which extendsbeneath the 'heeland then upward overlapping the part 14. Attached tothe upper end of the leg portion 12 and at its lower end overlapping thepart 14 and the extension 16 is a brace 17 held to the part 12 by a bolt18 and nut 19 and to the part -14 and 16 byabolt 20 and nut {21. To thebolt 2O isattached a short strap 22 having a buckle. The forward portionof the foot part 1.1 is also transverselyextended beneath the toes orball of the foot at 23 to form a sole, and then is extended upwardagainst the portion 15 and held thereto by a bolt and nut 25. Theseparts "as described areentirely covered with soft leather or otherfabric and softleather or "fabric may be used as a lining for theinteriorof the brace. lDIG'l' GIlIbly, however, soft leather used.Thefouter covering is designated 26 and the inner lining 27. The outercovering atthe upper end of the leg portion 10 is formed to provide abifurcated strap 28.- eld to the upper end of the leg portion-12 is astrap 30 also having a buckle. The biiurcated strap 28 has its forkedportions adapted to engage these buckles. It will be noted that thestraps 29 and 30 are more or less "freely movable upon the bolts orII16II1- strap 34 adapted toengagewith a buckle 35 mounted upon thecovering for the portion 23. When this strap is tightened, it tends tocontract the forward portions of the brace against the side of the footand to f draw the part 33 over the toes.

.Attached to the bolt 24 is a small plate or clip 36 and engaged withthis plateis a coiled contractile spring 36 attached to one "end of achainor other flexible element 38. This extendsupward and rearward andis engaged with the bolt 18. Also attached to' 'i this clipor plate 36is a spring 39 engaged with one end ofa chain or otherflexible ele ment40 which extends upward and reap.

ward to diefholt'flo. These flexible elefoot upward and over.

' springs.

iuents 38 and 40 and their springs 37 and 39 The brace is intended to beworn with a shoe and is to be worn after the foot 13 big enough for asize O--1 shoe. The shoe can be'even bigger and the brace will still litas the larger shoe can stick out in front without impeding the action ofthe brace. Prefer-' ably the leg portion is braced by a supplementalbrace a1 riveted or otherwise attached at its upper ends to'the legportion and the heel oft-he foot portion 11. The foot brace is formed wth a hollow to receive or accommodate the ankle bone and 1s padded onthe inside so as not to in ure the bone or ress it too much The advantae of this P O brace is that there 13 a constant tendency to drawthe'outer sldeinargin of the foot upward, while at the same time, thefoot may be raduall strai htened by t-.ghten1n n3 :9 y b I .1 t; L 0upon the straps holding the foot in place ,within the brace. PreferablyI use elastic webbing as straps, but I do not wish to be i. so that thebaby or limited to this nor to the particluar form of buckles nordetails of construction, as these may be modified without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

The brace will be applied to. the foot dur ing the day and taken off atnight so as to give the foot a chance to rest This brace must be wornwhile the child is walking or crawling about and will not materiallyinterfere with his movement nor bepainful or uncomfortable. The braceswhich, are illus-. trated and described in my pendingapplication abovereferred to are to be used from the birth of the baby until it is around8 months old and then the braces which I have illustrated and describedare to be used. The first named brace gradually acts to straighten thefoot and the second brace holds the foot into position after it has beenstraightened. Actual practice has shown that club feet can besuccessfully straightened without interfering with the growth of thechild in any way and without being particularly uncomfortable. Thebraces are light in Weight small child can use his feet or legs easily.f

The portion 10 of this brace is designed not to be so narrow'as to cutthe'leg along the sides of the leg, but in order to lighten this bracethe leg piece is cut away'on one side. This not only lightens it butper-- mits the person adjusting the brace to see the back of the shoeandwhether the shoe is in straight in the brace and down far enoughwithin the brace.

I c1aim:- I

' 1. A brace for treating club feet formed of sheet metal shaped toprovide a leg embracing portion and a foot embracing por tion includinga sole, the sole being formed by two separate parts connected to oneside of'the foot embracing portion and extending upward against theother side of the foot embracing portion and connected thereto,

and a resilient flexible element connected to the last named part andextending upward and rearward and connected at'its upper end to the legembracing portion and adjustable to increase or decrease the tenslon.

2. A brace for club feet formed of sheet metal, said brace being formedto embrace the leg and partially embrace the ankle and extend around theheel and along both sides of the foot, one of the extensions along thefoot having two laterally extending partial- .ly separated portionsadapted to be disposed b neath the heel and toes respectlvely and thenextending upward agalnst the outside portion, the leg portion beingformed at its upper end to embrace the leg and below its upper end topartially embrace the ankle and I at its lower end ,toextend around theheel and along both sides of the foot, one of the V extensions along thefoot ha'vingtwo laterallyextending partially separated portions adaptedto extend beneath the heel and toes of the opposite foot portion andbeing attached thereto, the"first named foot portion having a partflexibly connectedthcreto to extend over the toes, a bracing stripconnected to the upper end of the leg portion and at its lower end tothe rear-most one of y the lateral extensions, flexible resilientlycontractable members connecting the upper end of. the portion extendingbeneath the toes to the leg portion and exerting constant strainthereon,abuckle and strapfor holdingthe flexibly connected part over the toes,and" buckles and straps for holding the brace on the leg and ankle.

Intestimony whereof I here-unto affix my signature.

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